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Chapter 10 – Black as Night
Rylie fell asleep not long after unpacking the things in her duffel bag, she was exhausted from her small breakdown that she had. The next morning she woke up feeling not quite right, she felt groggy and her reactions seemed slow.
Rolling out of the small twin bed she was now supposed to sleep in for the rest of the year. She walked in to the small bathroom that contained just a toilet, a sink and vanity. She stared at the girl in the mirror and shook her head. She looked like hell, or even worse.
Rylie grabbed a towel that was hanging over the toilet and her dorm kit. She crept down the cold, empty halls of Spencer Dormitory and entered the girls' showers. She walked in to one of the stalls and started the water, once the water was to the right temperature she let the hot beads massage her sore muscles.
Her entire body was now feeling the ramifications. She couldn't believe that her mother slapped Reid last night; or the truth that had spilled out about her past and what she was doing to her own children now.
She couldn't look at her mother the same way again, she understood now why Reid was … the way he was. She grabbed her shampoo and lazily lathered it on top of her blonde head, she was so drained she hadn't heard the bathroom door open and close indicating that someone was in the shower's with her. Rinsing the soap out of her hair she turned to face the frosted glass of the shower's. Opening her eyes she could see a figure out in the showers, shrugging her shoulders thinking nothing of it.
She picked up her favorite yellow loofa sponge and squirted a bit of her Sweet Pea shower gel lathering it up nicely. She washed her body quickly and rinsed herself off. Shutting the water off she grabbed the terry cloth towel and wrapped it around herself, she wrung out her hair and gathered her things.
Stepping out on to the cold tile floor she didn't see the figure she saw before, instead she heard humming coming from a neighboring shower. She sighed and let a small smile form on her lips as she left the bathroom. Walking down the nearly empty halls she smiled at a few people passing by. She turned the corner and nearly knocked someone over.
"Holy crap!" She shouted.
"Sorry Rylie," Her brother's voice interrupted her shouts.
"God Reid, you really know how to scare a girl…" His sister retorted.
"I was coming to check on you, but you weren't there…" He stated looking down at her.
"Had to take a shower, I felt like crap…" She told him truthfully.
She took a good look up at her brother and saw a slight bruise on his cheek; in the outline of a hand. She shook her head and walked with him to her room. Once they were in her room, Reid opened his mouth to speak.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
Rylie looked up at him and found her robe; she wrapped it around herself and looked at her brother sincerely.
"I forgot how much crying hurt…" She stated sadly.
"I'm sorry about last night…" He said glancing over at the empty duffel on the floor.
"What do you have to be sorry for?" She asked him. "I think I understand you better now…" She told him thoughtfully. "I know what makes my brother tick; I never knew that she told you…" Tears formed in her eyes just thinking about it.
"Don't say it…" Reid stated shaking his head.
"But our own mother; the woman that gave birth to us… she wanted nothing to do with you Reid…" She stated staring up at her brother.
"I've come to terms with it, and earned a slap in the face…" Reid stated with a careless shrug. "You'll get over it…" He stated.
"How do you get over that, our own mother just doesn't care…" Rylie stated.
"Rylie… I never told you this because I knew you would find out one way or another. Mother was like your idol, I didn't want to be the one to ruin what you thought of her…" Reid stated.
"How could I not see it before though?" Rylie asked as she took out her school uniform from the closet.
"She plays the victim very well…" Reid stated in a bored tone. "Something I learned from her I suppose…"
"Why can't we be a normal family?" Rylie asked sitting down on her bed as Reid came around to look at her.
"Could you imagine us as a normal family?" Reid paused to let out a sarcastic laugh. "Living in the same house, eating dinner together, going on vacations together?" Reid asked in an almost devious tone. "Please, Rylie you're making me sick…" He scoffed.
"The thought is nice, I mean look at the Simms they are perfect…" Rylie stated with a heavy sigh.
"They have their problems, but Ty's dad was never addicted like Caleb's father or our father…" Reid stated. "Neither was Pogue's…"
The two siblings were quiet for some length of time, the only noise in the room was the sound of her lap top humming lowly.
"Reid…" His sister broke the silence. He looked at her breaking his intense gaze on the floor, responding with a 'Hmm?' "Promise me something…" She looked down at the ground biting her bottom lip.
"What?' He asked.
"Stop using…" She stated sadly, that glossy look in her eye.
"Do you know how hard it is not to use everyday?" Reid asked.
"But Pogue, Caleb and Tyler don't use every day…" She stated her blue eyes locking with his.
"Their urges are different than mine. I can't help it sometimes…" Reid stated as he took a seat on her bed. "You wouldn't understand…"
"I want to…" She said softly playing with the fabric of the terry cloth robe.
"It's so hard to explain," He stopped to think for a moment and then turned to look at her. "It's like an itch. You can't help but scratch it, even though you know it's just going to make it worse…" Reid answered after carefully thinking of a good analogy.
"I see…"
"I'll promise you this, though…." Reid admitted.
"What?" She questioned.
"I'll try my best not to use; like I used to… I'll try to control it…" He stated looking over at her. "For you."
"Why do it now?" She asked.
"Because I finally realized that I've got more than myself to live for… I've got a baby sister to take care of…." He smiled.
"When are you going to get over the fact that you're only five minutes OLDER than me?" She asked him.
He got off of the bed and threw her a sly grin, "Never!" with that he left her alone to get ready for school.
Rylie shook her head and rolled backwards, childishly, off of her bed. She looked around her room and smirked, maybe living in the dorm wouldn't be so bad after all. She remembered what her brother had said to her last night before leaving, she should call Tyler.
Grabbing her cell phone she pressed speed dial 2 and waited patiently for Tyler to answer. On the second ring she was ready to just leave him a voice mail to call her.
"Hello?" A very tired, almost annoyed voice came over the line.
"Hey Ty," Her voice was a bit cheerier hearing him answer.
"Ry? What's up?" He asked the annoyed tone leaving his voice completely.
"Reid told me I should call you," She stated simply.
"He did, did he?" Tyler asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, what's up?" She asked.
Tyler smiled to himself slightly as the dorm door opened and Reid walked in a triumphant look on his face. "Meet me outside in 20 minutes, ok?" He asked her.
"Alright," She obliged and hung up the phone.
Tyler hung up his phone and threw back the covers of his small twin sized bed. Reid grabbed the blazer to finish his school uniform and glanced over at his best friend and roommate.
"Rylie?" He asked casually.
"Yeah," Tyler nodded; he took a look at his best friend and saw the bruise on his face. "What the hell happened?" He asked.
"My mother slapped the shit out of me…" Reid announced as if it happened every day.
"What did you do to deserve that?" Tyler questioned getting up from his bed in only a pair of dark blue boxers.
"I told her something she didn't want to hear…" Reid stated as he grabbed his book bag.
"And that was?" Tyler asked waiting to hear what his best friend had told his mother.
"The truth." Reid stated simply before leaving Tyler speechless.
Tyler pulled on his school uniform, primping himself in the mirror; he was going to ask Rylie to the Fall Fest that Saturday night. He was thrilled at the fact that Reid had finally let down his guard, he wasn't worried about the two of them anymore. Things seemed to have cooled down, and he was thankful for that. They had already had a very eventful first week of school.
Within 15 minutes he was down stairs waiting patiently for Rylie to meet him, his school bag was tossed casually on the ground next to him. He waited bouncing on the balls of his feet; much like Reid had been a few night previous at Nicky's. He saw the top of her blonde head through the front doors of the dormitory.
A smile graced his face as she walked towards him, her blonde hair down and in loose waves, and her school uniform clingy to her body perfectly. She stopped on the step before reaching him and eyed him up and down. He was looking good as usual in his dark blue slacks, white button up Spencer shirt, with matching blue and silver striped tie. His blazer was draped over the back of his book bag as he stood waiting for her.
"So, what's up?" She asked him almost exactly eye to eye with the taller boy.
"Well I had a question I wanted to ask you…" He stated simply leaning back against the stone railing of the steps.
"Oh really?" She asked him raising an eyebrow.
"Yes ma'am…" He announced.
"Ok, shoot…" She waited for him to continue.
"Well, I was wondering…" His cheeks began to blush, the tips of his ears turning as pink as his lips. "If you'd like to go to the Fall Fest… with me… of course?" He stated stumbling a bit on his words.
She looked at him shocked; did he really just technically ask her out? She smiled brightly and nodded her head.
"Of course; I'd love to go with you Tyler!" She stated with a huge smile on her face.
"Really? He asked almost as shocked as she was.
"Of course, I couldn't think of another person I'd rather go with!" She smiled as he grabbed his bag off of the ground.
"Need a ride to school?" He asked.
"Would love one…" She remarked back to him.
She sat back in Tyler's Hummer completely shocked. She was going to Fall Fest as Tyler's date, something that she never, ever, thought would happen. She couldn't fight the growing attraction she had to the youngest Son of Ipswich. He had a perfect smile, alluring blue eyes, and a personality like no other.
Once they arrived at school; they were both still silent, not really having to say a word knowing that everyone else around them pretty much knew what was going on. Kate and Sarah practically ran over to her making sure she was ok from last night and asking her about Tyler.
"So he asked you then?" Kate pushed.
"Yes," She nodded her head holding her English Lit book against her chest.
"And you said?" Sarah continued.
"Yes, of course…" Rylie laughed.
"Oh my god, this is so perfect!" Kate grinned widely. "I told you, you two were meant for each other…" She said in a sing song voice.
"I don't know about all that, It's just a dance…" Rylie stated.
"Just a dance… just a dance?" She scoffed. "We did not spend two hundred dollars on dresses for 'just a dance' " Kate corrected her.
"This could mean so much more than that…." Sarah stated with a huge smile on her face.
"You have been reading one too many romance novels…" Rylie stated as the girls headed towards their first period class.
"So you asked her?" Pogue asked looking over at Tyler who had a permanent smile on his face.
"Yes…" Tyler nodded his head.
"And?" Caleb asked resting his back against the lockers.
"And…" Tyler turned to look at them. "She said yes." He shrugged with that smile still plastered on his face.
"Way to go baby boy!" Pogue stated tousling the younger boy's hair. Tyler blushed as his older friends went on and one about the dance.
Tyler looked around not seeing his best friend anywhere in sight, "Have you seen Reid?" He asked.
"No," Caleb shook his head.
"If you see him, don't say anything about…"
"Dude, what the hell happened to you?" Pogue's question interrupted Tyler. He and Caleb turned to see Reid standing there his bruise slightly darker than this morning.
"Jesus, Reid; what the hell?" Caleb asked looking at his friend.
"I don't want to talk about it…" Reid stated as he shrugged off their stares.
"Reid, when a girl says no… she means no…" Pogue joked as he slapped his friend on the shoulder.
"Whatever," Reid shook it off and watched as Caleb and Pogue left for English.
"Why didn't you tell them what you told me?" Tyler asked.
"Because some things Pogue and Caleb don't need to know…" Reid stated simply. "You are my best friend…" Tyler smiled to himself slightly and grabbed his English book, "So what did she say?"
Tyler glanced over at him and the never ending smile of his gave Reid his answer, the two didn't say another word until they were sitting in English.
The day went by quickly; they all regrouped after the last period at their lockers. Kate and Sarah looked over at Rylie and joined her.
"Hey what are you doing tonight?" Sarah asked.
"I've got to stay after and get some shots of the practice meet for the paper, and interview some of the guys, but after that I'm free…" She stated.
"Coffee later?" Kate asked.
"Sure, just give me a call and let me know!" She stated with a huge smile on her face.
"Does six sound ok?" Sarah asked. "I've got some research to do in the library…" She stated glancing between the two girls.
"Sounds good to me!" Kate nodded her head.
"Perfect…" Rylie nodded.
The girls split up Kate and Sarah heading in the direction of the library and Rylie on her way to the gym. She walked over to her brother and Tyler who were already changed, her brother wearing a pair of gray sweatpants over his Speedo; boy was she thankful for that, and Tyler standing there in all his glory with the small piece of blue cloth covering his southern region. She tried her damnedest not to take in his lean body, and found this to be very difficult that was until her attention was diverted to Pogue and Caleb walking up to them.
The two of them in their Speedos was enough to stop traffic. Pogue's body was cut, ever muscle was defined and bulging out, and Caleb's was not far behind in that area either. She had to stifle the laughter that threatened to come out seeing how small Pogue's Speedo was compared to the others.
"What's so funny?" Pogue asked scratching his hip nonchalantly.
"Nothing," Rylie shook her head and turned her attention back to Tyler and Reid. Her face turning the color of a tomato as she finally let out her laughter.
"I think, she's laughing at you Pogo…" Reid stated eyeing up the taller boy.
"Why?" H e asked confused.
"Oh Pogue…" Rylie laughed. "I thought Caleb and Tyler's Speedos were bad… but…yours… yours takes the cake…" She laughed.
"And how many times have you been to a meet?" Pogue asked not amused.
"I guess I never realized how small it was…" All four guys turned to look at her their eyes wide. "…your swim suit that is…" She laughed, shoving Pogue back a bit with a flick of her wrist. "Perverts"
"Don't you have work to do?" Reid asked looking over at her with a bored expression.
"Fine, I'm going to steal your star athlete for a moment," She stated grabbing Caleb by the arm. She grabbed the towel from Reid's shoulder and pushed Caleb off away from the rest of the group. "Here cover up, don't distract me…" She stated taking out her composition book.
Caleb laughed as he wrapped the towel around his waist, "What do you want to know?"
Rylie asked Caleb quite a few questions about his time on the team, his dedication, his championship, his stats, and anything else she could think of. She then managed to get Tyler to answer a couple of questions, and then moved on to the captain of the girls swim team, Marley Henderson.
"What do you want Garwin?" The brunette asked snootily. Marley was like the Kiera Schneider of the swim team, she was a bitch, but unfortunately for Rylie, instead of being interested in Caleb, she was interested in Tyler.
"Just wanted to ask you some questions for the school paper…" Rylie stated rolling her eyes at the girl.
"Alright," She rolled her shoulders and answered a few of Rylie's questions. Marley noticed that her gaze kept fixating over to the four Sons of Ipswich and their new friend, Chase Collins. "Even if you are one of them, you won't ever be good enough for him…" Marley's voice tore her out of her gaze.
"What?" Rylie asked confused.
"Tyler, you'll never be good enough for him…" Marley stated with a shrug. Rylie smirked and rolled her eyes at the girl. "Sorry honey…"
"What fantasy world are you living in?" Rylie laughed. "Tyler asked me to go to the Fall Fest with him tomorrow night…" Rylie smirked. "Sorry honey" She stated in a mock tone as she walked away from the brunette.
She walked away with a triumphant sway as she caught sight of Pogue pulling ahead in his practice meet. He was a good body length ahead of the guy in second place before the turn. She could hear the Sons of Ipswich cheering him on as he won his meet.
She got a picture of him hoisting himself out of the water victorious. She got them celebrating and then the exchange between Chase and Caleb, they were going to go heads-up against one another. She got on the side lines and got her camera ready.
The two boys dived in to the pool as the whistle blew. She snapped some pictures as the two surfaces, and a few consecutive shots after that. She nearly wasted an entire roll of film just on their meet. She looked through the peep hole just as the boys were getting to the wall, both surfaced Caleb facing Chase, Chase facing her and Caleb. She saw something that nearly made her fall in to the pool.
His eyes were as black as night.
Caleb hit the wall hard and his body started sinking to the bottom of the pool.
"Oh my god, Caleb!" She shouted rushing over to the other Son's. Chase dove down in to the water and retrieved Caleb's limp body. The Sons helped him pull him out of the water. "Give him some room…" Rylie announced between her brother and Tyler.
All five of them looked down at Caleb who was slowly blinking, coming too after a few minutes.
"There you are…" Chase stated in a sickeningly sweet voice, Rylie shot him a glare. "You had us worried there for a minute,"
"Good thing Chase was there to pull you out…" Tyler stated as he stood up.
"Yeah man, you almost sucked up the whole pool…" Reid added with a chuckle, Rylie nudged her brother roughly.
Pogue helped his best friend to his feet as Caleb looked at Chase oddly; he simply smirked at the boy. Coach Hamm came over and rushed the boys in to the locker room to get dressed. Rylie waited outside of the locker room anticipating the boys to get out. She knew Caleb had seen Chase's eyes, that's why he ran in to the wall and knocked himself out.
She wanted to talk to him to see what was up.
The guys came out all talking vigorously to one another, still fawning over Caleb like he had just cut his arm off. She smiled at the group and they all acknowledged her, she weaned her between them, going to Caleb's side.
"How you feeling Cale?" She asked.
"I've definitely been better…" He stated rubbing his head.
"Do you want me to drive you home?" She asked him.
"Uh, sure… that'd be great…" He nodded his head.
No one questioned these actions; Rylie had a tendency to become quite the mother hen when something was wrong. Pogue stayed behind as Chase, Reid and Tyler left heading off to Nicky's presumably. Caleb handed Rylie his car keys and got in to the passenger's seat, it had started raining just as they got in to the car.
"I saw his eyes…" Rylie stated simply as she started the car.
"So I wasn't just hallucinating?" Caleb asked looking over at her.
"No," Rylie stated. "But Caleb, how can he do that?" She asked.
"I don't know… call Pogue real quick… we're gonna do some research…" Caleb stated rubbing his head sorely.
Rylie pulled out her cell phone and pressed speed dial 4. It rang twice before Pogue's annoyed voice came over the line, asking her how she thought he could answer the phone and drive a motorbike in the rain all at the same time.
"I thought you were skilled…" She stated with a laugh. "Look, meet us at the administration office… Caleb and I need to talk to you…"
"Alright…" he sighed and hung up the phone.
Rylie turned the car around and headed back to Spencer Academy; she parked in the back of the parking lot and waited for Pogue to arrive. He pulled up next to them as they got out of the car, the rain pouring down on them.
"What's the emergency?" Pogue asked slipping off his helmet.
"Chase…" Caleb stated. "I have to know more about him…"
"Why do you have some man crush on him?" Pogue asked raising his lip up in to a scowl; his dislike for Chase Collins written all over his face.
"No, in the pool today… his eyes… they were black. Just like ours…" Caleb stated as his phone rang. "Hello?" He answered. He talked for a few minutes with who Rylie and Pogue presumed to be Sarah and they stopped as they got to the gated Administrative office.
"What'd she say about Kate?" Pogue asked. "Why won't she answer my calls?"
Rylie and Caleb looked at him and both rolled their eyes, "She's still pissed at you…" Rylie answered for Caleb.
Caleb nodded his head in agreement and jumped over the fence, Rylie and Pogue following suit. Pogue held his jacket over his head and looked at his best friend wondering what he was up to.
"What are we doing?" Pogue asked.
"I have to find out more about Chase Collins…" Caleb answered again.
"Look, I don't like him either, but do we really have to break in to his file?" Pogue asked.
"I'm telling you, his eyes were as black as night in the pool today…" Caleb stated his teeth clenched together.
"Are you sure?" Pogue asked.
"Pogue, I saw it too…" Rylie backed up the eldest son.
The three ran to the large old building and Caleb used his powers to unlock the door as the three of them snuck in to the personnel room. Rylie, Caleb and Pogue pulled out his file and began searching for more information on him.
"He was adopted…" Rylie stated looking through his file with Pogue. Caleb took out a second folder that was with Chase's things. It was an article.
"Chase Goodwin Collins…" Pogue announced. "Born July 14, 1988…"
"His mother died when he was two, he was born Chase Goodwin Pope…." Rylie announced looking at the adoption papers.
"His adoptive parents died…." Caleb stated. "In a car accident…" He whispered. "What was his birthday again?" He asked.
"July 14th 1988." Pogue looked back at the file.
"They died…" Caleb paused his eyes showing his concern. "… On his 18th birthday…" Caleb stated.
They heard something and looked towards the door; someone was coming up the stairs. Thinking quickly the two boys grabbed Rylie and their eyes flashed, both pairs of eyes were now as black as coal. The two boys used their power to levitate themselves and Rylie high above the open filing cabinet.
They watched as a security office looked around the room finding nothing, Rylie panicked as he started to look up and grabbed Pogue's arm tightly, making him lose grip on the paper's that he was holding. As they started falling Pogue's mouth opened as Caleb glared at the piece of paper freezing them before they even reached the guard's head.
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